James Biddle (1783 - 1848)

Born 18 Feb 1783 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Ancestors

Died 1 Oct 1848 at age 65 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

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Biography

James Biddle is Notable.

James Biddle was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal in the War of 1812.

Commodore James Biddle served for the United States of America in the War of 1812
Service started: 1800
Unit(s):
Service ended: 1846

James Biddle graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and then in 1800 enlisted in the US Navy. He served against the Barbary pirates aboard the USS Pennsylvania, which struck a rock off of Tripoli. Biddle and his captain were imprisoned by the pirates for 19 months.^[1] In recognition of the “gallantry, good conduct and services” of Captain James Biddle, and the officers and crew, of the sloop-of-war Hornet, in capturing the British sloop-of-war Penguin, after a brave and skillful combat he was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.

Following the war, Biddle's navy career continued and included a number of significant achievements. The following is from a blog by Will King:

Biddle ... made the ascension to commodore and followed many of the same commands that [Jacob] Jones ^[2]occupied. He even had a congressional gold medal of his own. But in contrast, he seems to have been everywhere at the right time to leave the most indelible mark on his profession and the nation. In 1817 he was sent to the West Coast to take possession of the Oregon Territory on behalf of the United States, and in 1830 was a key player in the negotiation of a significant treaty with the Ottoman Empire (actually, the Sublime Porte, but the relationship is deeper than I can relate here). In 1845, he commanded a squadron in a circumnavigation of the globe, during which he successfully negotiated the first American treaty with China and attempted to open Japan to US trade (the latter less successfully, Biddle being reticent of using all-out open warfare to force a treaty).^[3]

Sources

• Wikipedia:James_Biddle
• Encylopedia of Exploration 1800-1850, Howgego

1. ↑ James Biddle, Encyclopedia Britannica , Encyclopedia Britannica Online, Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2014. Web. 31 Dec. 2014, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/64762/James-Biddle
2. ↑ Also a prisoner of the Barbary pirates.
3. ↑ King, Will, "Naval Heritage Society Dockyard", June 16, 2011, Rough Look at James Biddle